A Guardian Echo
by grissomrocks
Summary: Some of the echoes of Clara saved the Doctor by saving his companions. This is the story of how an echo of Clara saved Sarah Jane Smith.


**Disclaimer:** Don't own any rights to _Doctor Who_ or the characters, places, etc…, therein. Just borrowing a couple of characters to reflect and remember.

**A/N:** Considering the Clara in "Asylum of the Daleks" was called Oswin Oswald, I'm asserting dramatic license to alter the name of one of the echoes.

* * *

Sipping her third cup of coffee at the hotel restaurant, Sarah Jane wondered how she let that ticket agent persuade her to take such an early flight. She didn't even have to be out to California until Thursday, yet here she was on the East Coast of the United States at 5:30 on Tuesday morning, waiting for a taxi to take her out to the airport.

That ticket agent had seemed quite odd, the journalist recalled. She was very eager for Sarah Jane to take that specific flight. Kept on touting the advantages of early flights and kept on lowering the price for nearly every minute of hesitation. If she had held out for just a minute longer, Sarah Jane would've sworn that the agent would've paid for the ticket herself. It was almost as if she was possessed.

_You're just tired_, Sarah Jane admonished herself. _She was probably just under pressure from management to fill this flight and I can see why. Who wants to fly clear across the States this early in the morning?_

"Mind if I sit here?"

A Southern US accent shook the British woman out of her half-asleep state. It wasn't an accent she was expecting to hear in Boston. She looked up to see a dark haired young woman gesture to the table that, although physically separate from hers, was pushed up against her own table.

"No, no, of course not," Sarah answered politely.

"Thanks," the younger woman said as she pulled out a chair. "I know there's plenty of other places to sit, but my mama always says to sit near a family or another woman when I'm by myself."

Sarah Jane nodded. "Your mother sounds like a smart woman." She held out her hand for the other woman to shake. "Sarah Jane Smith. I'm a journalist from the UK."

The young woman shook Sarah's hand and responded cheerfully, "Claire Osgood. Attorney from the good ol' USA. Or at least I will be if my interview today is successful."

"I hope everything goes well for you," Sarah Jane sincerely wished Claire. "So," the curious journalist commented, "you don't sound like you're originally from this area."

* * *

The two women talked for nearly an hour. Sarah was right about Claire being from the southern part of the US. It turned out that she was from a city in Georgia called Savannah. As much as Sarah Jane would've liked to continue their interesting conversation, it was time for her to meet her taxi. "It was really nice meeting you, Claire," the journalist said. "I do hope you get that job."

"Thanks," Claire replied. She pulled out her cell phone to call for a cab for herself. As she tried to switch the device on, her eyes widened. "No!" she said, loud enough to catch Sarah's attention.

"What's wrong, Claire?"

The younger woman held out her cell phone for the journalist to see. "It's dead. I thought I charged it last night." She closed the phone and sighed. "I'll just have to go back inside and call from a pay phone."

An idea formed in the British woman's mind. "Why don't we share a cab? You might be a little early for your interview, but that could work out in your favor."

"That's awful nice of you," Claire answered, "but where I'm going is in the opposite direction of the airport."

Sarah Jane modified her idea. "Well, why don't you take my cab? I can catch a later flight."

Claire hesitated. "Are you sure? I'd hate to see you to pay a penalty for switching flights."

Thinking of her new sentient computer at home, Sarah smiled. "Oh, don't worry about that. I have a friend who's good at fixing minor problems

* * *

A little over two and a half hours after Sarah Jane said good-bye to her new friend, the journalist found herself watching one of the American morning programs in the hotel lobby when the news came that a plane had hit one of the towers of the World Trade Center.

Despite being a former companion of the Doctor and all the dangers she had encountered while traveling with him, the journalist was horrified as it was revealed that the events that were unfolding before her were not some freak accident, but a deliberate attack against the United States.

When the names of the flights involved were reported, Sarah rummaged through her briefcase. She pulled out the ticket that she was supposed to have used earlier that morning.

The shock at the initial news of the attacks was mild compared to what Sarah Jane was feeling now. If she hadn't offered Claire her cab …

Sarah looked at the ticket again:

_Sarah J Smith_

_American Airlines Flight 11_

_Departure from Logan Airport_

_September 11, 2001_

_7:45 AM_

Although Sarah Jane wasn't a particularly religious person, she gave thanks for whomever or whatever sent Claire into her life. Her guardian angel.

_**Please take a moment today to remember the victims and all those who were affected by the 9-11 attacks.**_


End file.
